


The Academy

by Gwenhwyfar1984



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cults, Drama, F/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-09 13:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3252068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenhwyfar1984/pseuds/Gwenhwyfar1984
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events at Grady Hospital, the group desperately needes a place to rest and heal. A small group of survivors offers them refuge, but they harbor a dark secret. Post season 5 mid-season finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Flower Crowns

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Walking Dead is the property of AMC Studios, Circle of Confusion, Darkwood Productions, Valhalla Motion Pictures and possibly other large companies. I am in no way connected to these companies. I Do Not Own.
> 
> Chapters 7 and 8 were rewritten on February 8, 2015.

“I want to take her home.” Maggie announced. 

That was the first coherent thing that the devastated woman had said. She was in the back of the van clutching her little sister’s covered corpse. After Daryl had been persuaded to hand her over, someone had found a large scrap of cloth. It wasn’t enough to wrap Beth completely. But it covered her face and more importantly the head wound that killed her.

“What?” Glenn asked his wife. He had been by her side the entire time, but she didn’t seem to have noticed.

“I want to take her home. The farm. I couldn’t take…” She stopped and took a deep breath. “I want to take her home. Please?”

The group had sped away from the city as quickly as possible. The Grady cops said that they could leave in peace, but that didn’t seem likely. They finally stopped in the country by a field of flowers.

Rick sighed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that it’s possible. It’s too far away.” Rick stated quietly.

Thankfully he didn’t say that with the heat it was very important that the body be buried quickly.

Maggie nodded, seeming to understand and let out a quiet sob.

“Pardon me.” Father Gabriel interrupted into the relative quiet. Everyone looked at him and he seemed to falter under the scrutiny. “I obviously didn’t know the poor girl, so excuse me if this is inappropriate, but what about here?” He gestured to the wide field blooming with white and pink blossoms. “It is a beautiful final resting place. Peaceful.”

Maggie stared at him for a long moment. Nobody else spoke. It wasn’t their decision. Finally she nodded. “Yes. She loved flowers. Every summer she made crowns of them.”

"Why don’t you make her one while they…” Glenn looked at everyone and they understood. Maggie was in no condition to dig the grave, and Glenn wanted to support his wife. Abraham pulled a shovel out of the fire truck, but Daryl violently snatched it from him. He stalked off to the far edge of the field and began to dig.

Maggie watched him for a minute before venturing into the flowers to begin picking.

 

Carol sat on the opening to the back of the truck, her legs stretched out across the opening. She winced as another throb of pain ran through her hip. She wasn’t in very good shape. According to the doctor who had spoken to her upon awakening, she had a severe concussion, sprained left knee, badly bruised left hip, and multiple scrapes and other bruises. She was lucky that there seemed to be no internal bleeding. This was in addition to the seat belt injury from the van drop. He had given her painkillers, but she wasn’t going to take them. Others might need them more than her.  


It certainly hindered her plans to leave. She still felt the urge to do so. But now…  


She watched as Daryl furiously worked. He had been at it for a while, and was now waist deep in the ground. He was still going without a break. It was a good thing. Definitely better than yelling or hitting things.  


She knew, however, that that would probably change. He couldn't dig forever. Once he didn't have that distraction he would probably withdraw. And the group couldn’t have that. They couldn’t afford to lose another important person.

 

“Mind if I join you?” Maggie asked, interrupting Carol’s thoughts. She was standing in front of her holding a big bundle of flowers. Carol painfully moved her legs out of the way and helped Maggie to climb up.

“I have too many.” She said, her voice containing a hint of wonder.

“There’s no such thing.” Carol replied, reaching over to take a few of the blossoms. Her hand shook as she held them, memories of the previous week threatening to overwhelm her. She resolutely pushed them away.

Maggie nodded and set the bundle between them, selecting a few and beginning to weave a crown. “I taught her how to do this when she was five. She was obsessed with fairy tales. One day I made her a crown. It had flowers and ribbon.” She gave a pain filled smile. “I even added glitter to the stems. She kept it on her wall.”

A wall that was probably ashes now.

Carol took some of the flowers and wove them, using thicker stems to make it firm. “I used to make them for Sofia every year too.”

Maggie nodded, silently working. Carol finished her bracelet and held it, looking out at the group. Rick was sitting with his children and Michonne. Judith was happily batting at the plants, Carl working on something with wood. Abraham and his group had gone in search of water. Tyreese and Sasha were talking quietly while keeping an eye on the newcomers. Father Gabriel was sitting in the grass deep in thought, while Noah was next to Beth’s body.

Glenn walked up to the truck and watched Maggie work. He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t acknowledge his presence. Carol raised her eyebrows at the obvious tension, but didn’t interrupt the silence. After a few moments Glenn nodded and walked away. Maggie let out a quiet breath and held up her creation.

“It’s perfect.”

“I did pick too many.” Maggie observed. She had only used about half of what she had picked.

“Maybe make one for your father?”

“Good idea.” Maggie got back to work. “They’re together now. I'm alone.”

She reached over and slipped the bracelet on Maggie’s wrist. It was a little snug, but fit. The grieving woman looked at it for a long time and then raised her head, tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Carol nodded and let her work.

 

It was late evening when everyone gathered around the grave. Daryl had placed the body gently inside. Maggie stood at the foot holding her two crowns. Very gently she leaned down and placed them on the body. After a moment she nodded and Daryl began to shovel the dirt back inside. As he worked Father Gabriel cleared his throat.

“May I ask if your family—“

“We’re Christian.” Maggie interrupted. “Please, speak.”

Gabriel nodded and began to give the eulogy. His voice was clear and somber, rising just above the sound of shoveling dirt. It was general, but seemingly heartfelt. His words seemed to give a hint of comfort to Maggie. Silent tears streamed down her face as she watched the grave fill.

“Would you like to say something?” Gabriel asked when he had finished the prayers.

Maggie opened her mouth but shook her head. Glenn stepped forward but Maggie pushed him back, a strange, vicious look on her face. He held up his hands and stayed put.

Nobody else spoke; they just watched the grave fill. Finally the shoveling stopped.

Carl held up a small wooden cross. “Can I?”

Maggie nodded and Carol walked around and placed it at the head of the grave. “She…she was a truly good person.” He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. “And had the best singing voice I had ever heard.” He looked at his father who nodded encouragingly. “She once told me that she could never stop believing that there were other truly good people left. I…I don’t know if she is right. But…she gave me hope.”

“Yeah.” Daryl agreed. It was the first thing he had said since the hospital.

“She was like a mother to Judith when she desperately needed it.” Rick threw Carol a look, letting her know that he included her in that category. She nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry that she was put in that position. But I’m so thankful. Thank you, Beth.” He held the baby close.

Everyone glanced at each other but nobody else had anything to say. They began to walk away from the grave site, throwing looks at Maggie who remained, silent, staring at the disturbed soil.


	2. Warning

The next morning was a somber one for the group. Out of necessity they had stayed by the field for the night, but almost everyone wanted to get away from the grave. The only problem was where were they to go? DC was out, a scam. Carol had been furious when finding that out, but was too exhausted to really do anything. She had a feeling that that was the only reason that Eugene was still alive…everyone was too exhausted, mentally, emotionally, and physically to do anything.

“The first thing we need is supplies.” Rick reasoned. “Whether we are going to be wandering or just looking for a place to settle, we need the basics.”

They had a little left from the church, but not much.

“We haven’t been to this town.” Tyreese pointed at the map. “Unless you went before we met up.”  


Rick shook his head. “No. we should try it out.” He looked around but didn’t see any objections. “Let’s go.”

 

Fitting sixteen people into two vehicles was not an easy task. It took some time, but finally everyone was reasonably settled. Carol was in the back of the van with Judith, Daryl, Tyreese, and Sasha. The baby was wide awake and resting in her lap, the only cheerful one. She let out a gleeful cry when the van went over a bump. She clutched the baby tighter, and then winced as Judith grabbed a fistful of hair that was right above her head wound.

“Here,” she exclaimed, quickly passing the infant to Daryl. Tyreese and Sasha looked on in concern.

“You ok?” Tyreese asked. She nodded. The siblings looked at her doubtfully.

“She's stronger than she looks.”

“I know. Tried to get my beard several times.” Tyreese smiled fondly at the baby. He was obviously quite attached to Judith now.

He wordlessly asked if he should take the baby. Carol looked over at Daryl. He had Judith securely resting in his arms, his head leaning back, eyes closed. She shook her head. Daryl needed reminding that he was part of the group. Tyreese seemed to understand and everybody rode the rest of the way in silence.

* * * * 

 

The town turned out to be more upscale than they were used to. The houses were not mansions, but definitely nothing any of them had live in before. They decided to stop at a few to see if there was anything left. They found a lot of good supplies on their lists.

Tara suggested that they settle in one of the houses. They were large and well built. Abraham and Rick rejected the idea. A lot of the houses had large, open plans and windows. Hard to make defensible.

The group then headed into the town proper, making stops at stores. The pharmacy was picked clean, though they did find some bandages. They were given to Carol who would need hers changed soon.

Half of the group split off to look through a clothing store, while the others picked through tiny, nonsense shops. There probably wouldn’t be anything worthwhile, but they had to check.

Maggie entered a coffee shop and headed behind the counter. She picked up a bottle of peppermint flavoring. “No real food here. Nothing that counts, anyway.”

“We might be able to use that.” Glenn said optimistically, coming up next to her. She rolled her eyes, shoving the bottle at him. “Here then.”

He looked hurt, but she didn’t let it get to her.

She had realized something the previous day. Something that made her sick. It was life changing, almost as life changing as her sister’s murder.

She just didn’t know how to fix it.

“What did I do?” Glenn asked quietly.

“Too much.” Maggie replied.

 

Behind them, in the kitchen, there was the sound of metal hitting the floor. Everybody froze, their weapons raised. Glenn inched towards the door and slowly kicked it open. Instead of the growl of a walker they heard a terrified whimper.

“Come on out. Slowly.” Glenn ordered. He backed away from the door, gun ready.

A petite redheaded woman about Maggie’s age came out, hands raised, a long butcher knife in one fist. Behind her came a blonde woman, older, clutching a box of baking powder. It made an absurd sight.

“Drop the knife.” Daryl ordered.

The woman released it and it clattered to the floor, barely missing her foot. “P-please don’t hurt us.”

“Who are you?” Carol asked.

“I-I’m Thera, and this is Helen.” The redhead answered.

“We were just looking for some supplies.” Helen added.

 

Daryl backed up to the door and let out a whistle. A few minutes later the rest of the group entered the shop. The women visibly cowered back, intimidated. Maggie almost felt a stab of sympathy for them, but squashed it. Couldn’t trust anybody. These women could be cold blooded killers.

“Please, we don’t mean you any harm.” Helen protested.

“You alone?” Carol asked.

They nodded. “Yes. We don’t get many people coming through here so normally we don’t have to worry very much.”

Thera's eyes landed on Judith and Carl. “You have a baby? And a child with you?”

Rick tensed and Maggie almost shook her head at their stupidity. “Yeah. Why?”

The women exchanged glances and Helen nodded. Thera spoke. “Are you good people?”

“Depends on the situation.”

She looked shaken at that answer but continued. “Well you don’t look very well. Like you’ve been through a lot.”

The two women were cleanly dressed. Jeans, t-shirts, sturdy shoes and clean hair. The filth seemed to be from searching through things, not days without changing or bathing.

At the silence she continued. “We have a place if you need somewhere to go. It’s very safe. There’s food, baths, clean clothes and beds.”

Everybody tensed. After Terminus, nobody trusted…well anybody but themselves.

“Why do you invite us?” Carol asked.

“You have children. And you haven’t tried to kill us or…or anything else.” Helen answered. “It’s not an invitation we give out lightly.”

Rick stepped forward and the women backed up against the counter. “You killers?”

“No.” Thera answered immediately.

“Rapists? Cannibals? Power hungry narcissists?”

Helen’s jaw dropped. “My Goodness. What have you poor people been through?” She looked teary eyed.

“No. We are none of those. We just…we like to help those that are worthy of it. You seem to be. We hope that we are right.”

“Give us a moment.” Rick nodded at Glenn and Abraham who kept their weapons trained on the women. Everybody else gathered at the far end of the small shop.

 

“Are we really going to trust people so soon after Terminus?” Daryl asked.

Michonne looked back at the women. “We need to find a place and settle for a while.”

“We can do that on our own.” Glenn protested.

“Can we? Right now we are in no shape to fend for ourselves. We’re injured.” Carol frowned at being a weak point. “Not just physically, but in every other way. These people have food, shelter.”

“We can’t stop trusting people.” Sasha said quietly. “If we do, we do a disservice to the memories of those we lost. They trusted.”

“And look where they are now.” Daryl pointed out. Maggie and Sasha flinched.

He was right. Trusting got them killed. No…Beth was kidnapped. There was the difference. If she was here now, she would probably trust the women.

“We trusted Gabriel and Noah.” Sasha countered.

“We also trusted Eugene and look how that turned out.” Glenn countered.

“He hasn’t tried to kill us.”

Eugene looked uncomfortable but wisely didn’t speak.

Rick looked contemplative and then nodded. “We go in, but don’t give up our weapons, and don’t let them separate us. First, and I mean first hint someone has that there is something going on, we get out of there. Now, I don’t want another Terminus, but remember…we got out alive last time. Agreed?”

Everybody nodded, about half reluctantly.

 

Rick walked back to the women. He walked up to them and looked straight at them. “We will take you up on your offer. We are very much appreciated. But you have to know something.” He leaned in. “You don’t want to fuck with us. We show no mercy when that happens.”

Helen met his eyes. “I am so sorry that you have come to be like this. We understand though.”

Rick looked shaken, but nodded, satisfied that the message got through.

Thera smoothed down her shirt, gathering herself. “We have a car around back. Why don’t we meet in the front in a few minutes? We really do need those supplies.”

The two groups were waiting when a small truck turned the corner and then stopped next to them. Helen leaned out the window. “It is not too far. Just follow us.”

They were led out of the town and into the countryside. After a few miles they turned onto a long road. In the distance large buildings appeared. Surrounding them were rock walls and metal gates. At one point they were iron poles, but had been reinforced with metal plates. As they were led through the gates, a sign was still standing in the front.

Bright View Academy.


	3. Tour

Bright View Academy was a small campus. There was a central courtyard that had been converted into a play area. Children’s toys littered the grass, and playground equipment had been set up. In the center was a flagpole, and four sidewalks traveled off towards buildings. Directly across from the parking lot was one. To the left were three, mirroring three to the right.

Coming out of the central building to the right were two men and a woman. Helen and Thera raised their hands in greeting.

Carol took the opportunity to look around. It was a pretty, clean and not as run down as most other places. There were people going about their daily tasks, and a few children running around.

It was like the prison before everything went bad.

“Hello.” The tallest man said. He looked to be about thirty years old and had bright blonde hair that fell in slight curls on his forehead. “My name is Maxwell, and I’m the leader here. Welcome to Bright View.” He held out his hand to Rick, who didn’t take it. Maxwell awkwardly pulled it back and gestured to his companions. “This is Brock, head of security, and Hattie, leader of the domestic aspects of life here.”

“Rick. Nice place you got here.”

Maxwell beamed. “We have worked very hard to make sure that this is a safe and healthy place during the Changing Times. Judging by the looks of you, you have not been as fortunate. Well, that is all in the past. By Thera and Helen bringing you here, it tells me that you are good people. So, why doesn’t Brock here take you on a tour?”

“Maybe they should get settled first?” Helen suggested. Maxwell’s cheerful, welcoming demeanor faltered for a moment and he looked annoyed.

Helen looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry, a tour is probably best.”

Maxwell’s cheerfulness returned and he nodded. “I think that we are both right. Why doesn’t Brock show you the living spaces and then let you get settled?”

Rick looked back at everyone and then nodded. “That’d be great.”

 

Maxwell gestured to Brock and then headed back towards the building that he came from. The women followed him, and he was speaking intently to them. Brock chuckled.

“Don’t let him worry you. Maxwell is a powerful personality.”

“We’ve found that powerful personalities are not necessarily a good thing.” Daryl responded.

“Oh, he’s not bad.” Brock began walking, leading them towards the buildings on the left. “It’s just that…he worked hard to make this place what it is. He runs a tight ship. It’s the only way that things stay good.” He gestured to the courtyard. “Now, this is the play area for the children, as you can see.” The playing kids paused and waved at him. He waved back.

“How many kids you have here?” Tyreese asked.

“Five, ages 7 months to 10 years. A couple of them are orphans, their Blessed parents gone to Blissful Eternity.”

The group exchanged glances and followed Brock.

“The way that we have it situated is that the dorms, kitchen, and cafeteria are on the left of the courtyard, and the library, laundry, gardens, and animals on the right.” He led them into the first building. “This is the kitchen. Rebecca here is our main cook." He gestured to a harried looking woman who was lugging a basket of potatoes towards a large sink. “Bec, we have a new group joining us.”

Rebecca set the basket down and wiped her hands on her apron. She was an older woman, perhaps six or seven years older than Carol. Her long grey hair was tied up in a bun, and her faintly lined face had some white powder smudged on it. She looked at everyone. “Well, you are a large bunch.”

“Is that a problem? We know how to fend for ourselves. We could go hunting—“ Rick began.

She held up a hand. “Nonsense. You all look terrible. Ain’t nobody going to go hungry as long as I’m in charge. I’ll make enough for everyone, and you can talk to Hattie and 

Maxwell later about contributing.” She looked at Judith. “She on bottle or solids?”

“Solids.”

Rebecca nodded. “Alright. Dinner is at twilight.” With that she turned to her potatoes, transferring them to a bucket of water and scrubbing them.

 

“You have wells? And they’re not contaminated?” Glenn asked.

Brock nodded as he led them through the kitchen. Other men and women were cutting vegetables and meat up, mixing items together. “Yes. Eight. More than enough to keep everyone clean and watered. Including the animals.”

That was better than what they had at the prison. It had taken them a while to figure out how to bring in water from the creek. Even after, it was dangerous to go outside the fence to unclog the pipe.

“What about generators?” Carol asked.

“We have several. But we use them sparingly. In our rooms we use candles.” He led through a set of doors back outside. There were several grills set up, and even a constructed wood oven. Beyond them were picnic tables with tablecloths. “The oven lets us have fresh bread once a week.”

This was definitely better than what they had at the prison. Carol had been proud of the outdoor kitchen that they had made, but this made it look…simple.

Next they went to a large, three story building. Inside was an entryway with a couple of tables. “This is one of the dorms. It is currently empty, so you can have it all to yourselves. Several gathering rooms, a small library. There is a small kitchen and dining room if you feel that you prefer to eat alone together. We will not get offended if you bring your food here.”

The place was decorated elegantly. Drapes covered the windows, potted plants in corners and on tables. Sturdy wood furniture.

They were led upstairs.

“Over there is a bathroom. There are eight bedrooms per floor, with two of everything in them. Inside each room we installed bar locks, along with the front and back doors. 

Simply lower the metal bar and it is locked from the inside.” At the surprised looks he chuckled. “We understand that trust is earned. This place is as comfortable and secure as we could make it. Well, I’ll let you get settled. Tomorrow I can show you the rest of campus.”

He headed towards the stairs and disappeared down them. When they heard the heavy metal front door close, they relaxed.

 

“Well?” Rick asked the group.

“They’re nice.” Tara started. “Friendly.”

“You get that Woodbury vibe from them?” Rick asked Michonne, Tyreese and Sasha.

They shook their heads. “Woodbury was different. It felt off right away. Like they were denying that everything had gone to hell. These people accept the truth.” Michonne answered.

Rick looked at Daryl who shrugged.

Abraham spoke up. “They didn’t even mention our weapons. They know we don’t trust them completely. I say we stay for a while. Just don’t let our guards down completely.”

Like any of them would ever do that again. Complete trust was gone for everyone who was not in this group. And she still didn’t completely trust Abraham’s people.

 

Downstairs the metal door opened and there were voices. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and everyone instinctively raised their weapons. Hattie rounded the corner and raised a bundle of cloth.

“It’s me. I brought water and clothing for you.”

They lowered their weapons and Hattie moved aside. People carrying steaming buckets marched into the bathroom, and then left without a word. They returned a few moments later with bags of cloth, blankets, and pillows.

“This is the only time I’ll do this for you. You want water you gotta haul and heat it yourselves. Pump is in the back along with a fire pit.” She paused. “I sorted out clothes that I think will fit everyone. And there’s bedding.”

“We just got some today.” Sasha told her.

“Put it outside. I’ll make sure everything gets clean and returned.” She eyed the group speculatively. “I can probably use some of you in the laundry…” She nodded and without another word she left.

Noah hurried behind her and they could hear a loud metal thud as the bar was lowered.

 

Some of the people began to pick through the pile of clothing as others gathered bedding and headed into rooms. By unspoken agreement they stayed on the same floor. Carol watched as Glenn picked up his and Maggie’s packs. Maggie ripped hers out of his hand and followed Michonne. Glenn looked completely shocked, and sadly went elsewhere.

Carol examined the pile. Hattie had thought of everything, right down to pajamas and new packs of underclothes. After grabbing her share of the items, she headed down the hall.

Most of the rooms were already occupied. Quiet conversations drifted into the hall. At the very end, next to a back stairwell, she found Daryl picking through his pack.

It was small, containing two beds, dressers, and desks. All traces of personal items had been taken away, giving no evidence that this room had once housed students. It chilled her a little. It was so…impersonal. She had no reservations taking what she would find out in the world. The dead had no use for them. But there was that constant reminder that it had once been somebody else’s. This…this was almost clinical.

Daryl glanced at her, but didn’t say anything. She placed her things on the other bed and decided to get clean before doing anything else.

 

When she returned Daryl was gone. She unpacked the bandages and set tried to place a square over the worst of her scrapes and cuts. There was one large one on her side, where she had landed after rolling onto the car. It had started bleeding again after being washed. She hissed as the material touched the wound, and then realized that she had no way to secure it. There was no tape or other adhesive. She was searching through her bag for something she could use when the door opened and Daryl walked in, hair dripping. He saw her situation and walked over, sitting behind her.

“I have no way to keep it on.” She informed him quietly. He grabbed the sheet from his bed and tore off a long strip, wrapping it around her torso and tying it.

“Thanks.” She said, looking over her shoulder. His eyes were on her skin. She felt a feather light touch against the bruise on her left hip. It moved up to her arm, and then to the cut on her hairline. He looked deeply troubled as his eyes met hers.

“Nine lives, remember?” She said softly. Honestly, though, when the car had hit her and she went flying, she had thought that it was the end. A little sad, to be hit by one of the only cars moving in Atlanta.

“How bad is it?” He asked.

She sighed and turned from him, picking up her clean shirt. She told him of her injuries, not leaving out that she had been unconscious for nearly a day.

“I should have gone first.” He got up and went over to his side of the room. She pulled on the t-shirt and stood.

“So you could have been hit?”

“Better me than you.”

She busied herself with making her bed, thinking of what the best course of action was. He was so full of guilt.

But then so was she. Wasn’t it hypocritical of her to try to help him and not herself?

“There’s nothing you could have done differently.”

“You were right.”

“About?”

“We don’t get to save people anymore.”

“You saved me.” During the few brief minutes together, Beth had informed her of just what kind of place Grady Memorial was. She was lucky that she had been rescued. If she had been forced to stay there, it probably would have ended in a bloodbath.

A much larger bloodbath.

“Yeah.”

She smoothed out the wrinkles and placed the pillow.

“You know yet?” He asked after a pause.

“Know what?”

“If you’re leaving.”

She turned around and crossed her arms. “I’m here right now.”

“Don’t make me choose.”

What the hell did that mean?

She didn’t find out because there was a knock on the door. It opened and Noah stuck his head inside. “We’re going to go get food.”


	4. Explanation

The scents coming from the outdoor kitchen were heavenly, drawing the group the moment they stepped outside. Four long picnic tables were set up; two of them occupied by what must have been almost every resident of Bright View. There appeared to be approximately thirty people.

Maxwell stood when he spotted them, and gestured for them to join him at his nearly empty table.

“I hope you’re hungry. Rebecca and her crew are the best cooks.” He nodded and platters of vegetables and meat were placed on the table.

“Is that beef?” Rick asked.

“Yes. We have cattle here, along with pigs and chickens. The vegetables are from our own gardens.”

“You really have been working hard.”

“Indeed we have.” He looked around. “Shall we say the prayer?” All of the residents and some of the group lowered their heads. “Eternal Ones, we give thanks that You have blessed us with plenty, allowing us to live and worship You. Amen.”

Maggie was confused at the strange prayer, and saw that Gabriel was frowning also.

 

Everyone was silent as the platters were passed and plates were filled. After everyone was served, Abraham asked that Maxwell tell them about the place.

“Ah, yes. Before the Changing Times, Bright View Academy was an elite preparatory school. My own daughter went here.” He fell silent and it was obvious that his daughter was not one of the residents. “After things began to Change, I and a few of my neighbors came here to see if anyone had survived. There was nobody left. Many had fled, but a few of the…“

“We call them Walkers.” Rick told him.

“Ah, yes. Good name. The Walkers were around. Later, we began to make this place into a new community. We cleaned it up as best we could. There are still a few places we need to get to; the auditorium and the pool, but those are not really needed.”

“Wait…there are Walkers in those buildings?” Glenn asked, looking worried.

“Oh, no. I simply meant that they are not suitable for habitation.”

At that reassurance they continued the meal, the talk small and insignificant.

“Maggie…“ Glenn started. He was across from her.

“Don’t.” She said in a firm tone. She was not in the mood to get into it with him. She needed rest, a good long sleep.

But how could she sleep with this pain? This soul crushing pain that threatened to completely consume her.

 

“We would like to stay for a little while.” Rick informed Maxwell. “We expect to earn our place here. Every one of us had skills that we can contribute to this community.”

“That is very honorable of you. We can always use extra hands. How about those of you who are well begin tomorrow? Normally we get up when the sun has completely risen.”

“That’s fine.”

“I have faith that this will work. Perhaps one day all of you will be brought into the fold.” Maxwell smiled.

Maggie didn’t think that it would happen. Events inevitably went south. It happened at her home, and it happened at the prison. In this new world, there was no safe place. You just wandered until you died or were killed.

99% of the time killed.

The conversation continued until it became too dark to see properly. Brock handed out candles to everyone, and wished them good night. The group made their way back to the dorm, each of them obviously looking forward to a good sleep.

 

Maggie was about to go upstairs when Glenn grabbed her arm, pulling her into a room. He immediately let go of her and blocked the door.

“We need to talk.” He claimed.

“Not now.” She gripped her candle tighter.

“Yes, now. Look, I understand that you are grieving. I respect that.”

“You understand?” She gave a bitter laugh. “You can’t possibly understand.”

“My family is probably dead too, Maggie.”

She shook her head. It was different. “You don’t know for sure. I saw them. I saw my father get beheaded. I saw my sister with a hole in her head.”

“I know.” He said softly. His entire manner was one of deep sorrow. For some reason that made her even more upset. “Let me help you.”

“All this time.” She started, her exhaustion and anger combining and making her say what was really bothering her. “All this time I focused on you. Instead of looking for my sister I went after you. I could have…I could have found her. Saved her. Instead I—” She broke off. “From the beginning I focused on you and us. And look where it got me.”

“Maggie—“ Glenn reached out but she took a step back. “You honestly blame me for all of this? I didn’t make you be with me!”

“I know.” She said. She set the candle on the table and gripped her ring, the ring that symbolized their marriage. It slipped off and she set it down, picking her candle back up. Glenn moved away from the door and took the ring. He looked completely crushed. She tried to not let it bother her. She didn’t have the room. Her feelings, her heartbreak took up everything she had. She couldn’t think of him anymore, not after he contributed to taking everything from her.

Opening the door, she left the room. Behind her she heard a few footsteps on the tiles.

“Maggie, please don’t do this.”

Having said everything she had to say, she didn’t respond.


	5. Jobs

Carol, Glenn, and Noah were the last people to make it to the meetings the next morning. She had slept later than intended. A part of her was upset that nobody had woke her up. She hated that once again she was the weakest member of the group.

A few people were surprised to see her, and when she sat down next to Daryl, he gave her an appraising look.

“Don’t.” She ordered. “I’m fine.”

It wasn’t like she had never been like this before. She was used to it, sadly. She knew how to work through the pain, pretend like she wasn’t hurting, and get work done.

 

Maxwell stood and addressed the group. He explained that he had spoken to others and they were looking forward to having new people join them.

“I thought we had agreed to not be separated.” She whispered to Daryl. It was foolish, of course. The sixteen of them couldn’t go around together constantly. But the idea of being alone with these people made her nervous. She was confident that she could get out of a bad situation if it came up, but she didn’t want to if she didn’t have to.

“Talked to Rick. Groups of three, some weapon on us at all times.” He replied.

She nodded, wondering where she would go. She had gotten to be proficient in several different areas. Cooking, cleaning, and now fighting. She was now more than a pretty good shot. That tank had been hard to hit…

She was aware of someone saying her name. She looked up from the table and saw Rick looking at her worriedly.

“What?”

“I recommended you to help out with the children. Is that alright?”

She felt a chill move over her. Children? No. Definitely not. She couldn’t care of children that would just end up dead. Not again.

“I’ll do it.” Tyreese volunteered before she could find the words to decline. He looked at her and nodded slightly. She nodded in appreciation. Noah and Sasha also volunteered. Nobody seemed to think that it was strange that she had hesitated, thank goodness. She didn’t want questions she couldn’t answer.

 

She ended up being assigned to the kitchen and gardens. Since breakfast was over, she, Tara, and Rosita were told to go past the business buildings. What she saw almost made her gasp. Large pens of animals were set up, but beyond them was a vast garden. It was larger than what they had managed at the prison, and looked to have more variety.

A tall man with very short brown hair greeted them at the fence. He looked to be a little bit younger than her, and introduced himself as Ron.

“You certainly don’t look like gardeners.” He observed after introductions. His eyes traveled over them, lingering on her. She crossed her arms.

“We’re not.” Rosita confirmed. “I’ve never gardened in my life.”

“Me either.” Tara confirmed.

It was Rick and Hershel who ran the gardens, but she had weeded a little at times. Before, she had grown some herbs in her kitchen window. “I've done a little." She told Ron.

“Well, I hadn’t gardened before either.” He reassured the others. “This has changed all of us. For the better.”

He explained that at the moment their work would mostly consist of weeding. Several of the vegetables were almost ready for harvesting, but for most it was a month or two away. After showing them what was a weed and what was a vegetable, they got to work. 

 

“So what were you before?” Ron asked her. He was in the next patch weeding some carrots. That wasn’t really something that was asked anymore. For most, it didn’t matter what you were before. It had no impact on now. Now is what mattered.

“I worked from home.” She gave a half truth and concentrated on the collard greens. She hoped that would end it.

“Let me guess…author?” She raised her eyebrows and didn’t reply. “Yup. You were an author. Westerns? Science fiction? Dark gothic set in faraway gloomy castles?”

“Nope.” She replied, a smile beginning to force its way through.

“I know.” He sat back on his heels and wiped some sweat from his forehead. “Trashy romances that you would never tell your mother about. It’s ok…nobody will judge you.”

A laugh escaped, making Tara and Rosita look at her in surprise. Rosita smirked and returned to her beets. “Definitely not.”

Ron gave a large sigh and shook his head. “Yeah, I didn’t write those either. I was an accountant. Not really helpful now.”

She stayed silent, not encouraging him. If they were going to work together, he would have to quickly learn that she wasn’t one to engage in banter. Well, she didn’t mind it with certain people…person.

He kept trying to engage her, and she kept rebuffing him. His talk was quickly becoming flirting, and he didn’t seem to get the hint that she was not interested. It reminded her of Axel, but without the I-haven’t-seen-a-woman-in-years desperation.

She finished with the collard greens and moved on to the peas, across the garden from him. He looked amused for a moment, but went to help Tara, who was pulling up the radishes instead of the weeds.

 

They didn’t spend all day in the fields. In mid-afternoon it was time to move into the kitchen and prepare the evening meal. She knew from experience that cooking for nearly fifty people took a lot of time.

“Do you think you’ll like it here?” Ron asked the women as he walked them to the kitchen.

“It’s a lot better than out there.” Tara admitted.

“Indeed it is.” He gave that overly bright smile. “Be sure to really think about it before you decide to join us. This place is not for everyone.” With a nod he left.

“Weird.” Rosita said as they strode into the kitchen to begin their kitchen training. “He is hot though.”

 * * * *

Maggie ended up assigned to do inventory. With the arrival of their group, everything needed to be reorganized and counted. Eugene and Gabriel were with her since it didn’t take a lot or training to count and fold material.

She didn’t really enjoy it. The store rooms were old classrooms, but even with the windows open it was hot and stuffy. Plus, it gave her too much time to think.

Her missing ring was noticed by a few people, but there were no comments. Glenn had seemed to take her at her word and avoided her, though he looked like a lost, hurt puppy. She hardened her heart against it. She had meant everything that she had said the night before. She had spent too much time on him and not enough on her family. She had thought that it was supposed to be that way. Before, that was how marriages worked. The couple moved away from their families and made their own. He was supposed to be her priority, and she was trying to have some sense of normality. But that normality could not exist in a world with walkers wandering around and people being killed for no reason.

 

This place though was different. The people seemed nice and sincere. The campus was more protected than the prison. The stone walls were high and not easily destroyed, like the chain link ones at their previous home.

“It must be nice.” Maggie commented. Thera looked up from her clipboard.

“Pardon?”

“Being here. Where we were before we could still see the walkers. Hear them. Here you are protected from that.”

Thera nodded. “We are. But I don’t think it’s a good thing.”

“Why not?” Gabriel asked. He too had been protected for so long.

“Because…we are not seeing what we need to see. They are the next step in what we are to become. We should have to see that.”

“Next step…what are you talking about?”

Thera sat down at an old desk. “They are us. They’ve just changed.”

Maggie felt fury well up. “They are vicious monsters who kill without any thought. Their brains are mush. They’re not evolved, they’re dead.”

“Nobody said it was beneficial.”

“She has a point.” Eugene spoke up from his place in the back. He was sorting through some blankets. “Maybe they are what’s to take over, like mammals did after the dinosaurs.”

Thera broke into a wide smile. “Maybe.”

“You are crazy.” Maggie exclaimed. “You need a reality check and soon. I wouldn’t let any of the others hear this talk. You might find yourselves on the other side of the fence…or dead.” She turned back to her shirts, but not before she saw Gabriel staring at Thera with a worried look.

 

As they were heading down the stairs of their building, Gabriel pointed to a set of doors. The windows had been covered, and two thick chains threaded through the handles, with large combination locks.

“Oh, that is the pool. You don’t want to go in there.” Thera told them, holding open the door to let them outside.

“Why? It can’t still be filled…” Eugene asked.

“No. We emptied it but haven’t cleaned it out yet. It smells horrible!” She paused and gave them all a bright smile. “You did well today. I think that you will fit right in.”

Maggie shook her head. Doubtful. They couldn’t fit in with these people. They had changed, yes, but in a bad way. Her group had dealt with so much death. They couldn’t really fit in anywhere.

“I was the same at first. Give it time. Eventually you’ll become one of us.” Thera claimed.

 

That night Maggie awoke when it was still dark. Getting up, mindful to not wake up Michonne, she went to the window and looked out. The moon provided a little light, but not a lot. On nights like this she had usually snuggled up to Glenn, and was able to get back to sleep. She would have to get used to being alone now.

Movement drew her attention. A few people were hurrying across the courtyard. She shook her head. Probably on their way back from time alone or something. None of her business. She had learned that unless it was life or death, you gave people privacy, even if it just looked like it. She drew the curtain closed and climbed back under the covers, curling up.


	6. Confession

Four days passed and the group slowly began to relax. The citizens of Bright View seemed to be what they claimed: generous people who honestly wanted to help out.

Carol tried to settle into her new roles. It wasn’t running as smooth as she had thought it would. The gardening was fine. The kitchen was the problem. Rebecca ran the kitchen efficiently, but wasn’t flexible or open to advice. It was her way or no way.

After the third day Carol asked if she could permanently transfer to the gardens. They agreed, and added on the responsibility of feeding the animals in the evening. Rosita and Tara looked slightly disappointed but were willing to stay. 

 

Carol was scattering some chicken feed when she saw Daryl making his way into the barn that had been constructed. She set the pail down and couldn’t help but smile.

“Come to help?” She asked when he reached her.

He grimaced. “No. I just delivered some rabbits to the kitchen and didn’t see ya there.”

Now that there was another person, she saw the other women hurry past, using the opportunity to escape. She shook her head. The rule about having three people had relaxed a little. Nobody went anywhere alone, but two people were now considered safe.

“I’m not going to be in the kitchen anymore.”

“Why?”

She wiped the powdery residue on her pants and shrugged. “It’s just not the right place for me.”

“Uh huh.” He sounded doubtful. She saw that he had an amused look on his face. It was nice to see. He was still pretty much keeping to himself, going out every day to hunt. He didn’t always return with something, and everybody knew he just wanted to be alone. “You’re just upset because you’re not at the top anymore.”

“That is not true.” She claimed, crossing her arms.

“It is. You were the head of the kitchen before. Now, you’re just one of the workers.”

She shook her head and picked up the pail, walking over to place it on the table. “You really don’t know me.” She told him, not wanting to admit that in a way he was right. She did leave because she didn’t like to be told what to do.

“Uh huh.” He replied, and then started when something small and furry attacked his pant leg. He knelt and picked up a small kitten. “The hell?”

She took it from him. The residents kept some cats in the barn to help with the rodents. He looked annoyed and she couldn’t help the laughter that began to bubble up. “Scary.” The kitten meowed at him.

“Stop.” He muttered.

A laugh escaped. “It’s ok. I won’t tell anyone.” Impulsively, she leaned up and placed a small kiss on his cheek. He looked shocked and she pulled back. “Sorry.”

“Why?”

 

She started to move away but he gently held her arm. He seemed to struggle and then make some decision. Carefully, he kissed her. It was tentative, as though giving her a chance to pull away. Instead she placed one hand on the side of his face, pulling him closer.

The kitten protested, making them break the kiss. It climbed up to her shoulder, tiny nails digging into her. He pulled it off and set it on the ground.

“Well.” She said, not knowing what to say. It wasn’t that it came out of nowhere. They had been dancing around each other since they had settled at the prison. At least, she had. She hadn’t been that sure about him until they were reunited. That hug had revealed so much to her. He was a man of action, not words.

Was this really the time though? After everything that had happened?

“Yeah.”

“That was nice.” She admitted, deciding to keep things light.

“Wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

She pulled him close, pressing her lips to his. His opened beneath hers, deepening the kiss. She pressed her body against his, enjoying the feel. A part of her felt guilty. She shouldn’t be enjoying herself. It was wrong...

“Oh!” A voice exclaimed. They broke apart, and saw Tara and Rosita standing a few feet away with wide eyes. “Sorry.”

Rosita looked amused. “I would not have expected this…”

Daryl pushed past them and stormed out. Carol sighed and returned to her work.

 

Later, she found him cleaning out some bins. Taking a deep breath, she gathered the courage to say what she had wanted to say for a while. He needed to hear it; to understand if he was going to heal and allow himself to do something other than grieve.

“Daryl?” Hearing the serious tone, he tensed. She almost backed down but forced herself to continue. “There was nothing you could have done. Beth made her choice. We had her, but she made her choice, and had to deal with the consequences. You did nothing wrong.”

He looked away, his face showing the pain he was feeling. She took a chance and placed her hand on his arm. He didn’t pull away like she expected, instead he leaned into it.

 

“What happened?” He finally asked quietly. “With the girls?”

She almost walked away. She had told him that she didn’t want to talk about it, and he had respected that. Why was he asking now?

But deep down she needed to tell someone. If anybody would understand, it would be him. She knew that she also needed to heal.

Slowly, she began to tell him. As she spoke, tears threatened, but she held them back. The time for tears had passed. When she had finished, he was quiet for a long time. 

She waited for the outrage and the disgust.

“You did the right thing.” He finally said.

“What?”

“She was insane. There was nothing else you could have done.” She nodded, relieved. He understood. It felt like the weight had been lifted a little. The guilt was still there, still strong. But maybe it was manageable. “I’ll start over if you will.”

She had thought that to start over she would have to leave. Stay on her own, where there was nobody to hurt, nobody to look after. Yet she had gone running back to them when trouble started. She had not hesitated to go after Beth.

She was still one of them, even though she resisted.

He was watching her, waiting for an answer. She debated, the part of her that wanted to run warring with the part that needed what had become her family, the part that had enjoyed the kisses and wanted more.

Finally, she nodded. “Alright.”

And she meant it.

* * * *

  


Maggie was worried. It was Eugene. She hadn’t thought that she would be worried about him. After all, he was a liar and a manipulator and had caused deaths. Because of him and Glenn, she was not there for her sister.

But he was acting strangely.

Ever since Thera had revealed her immense stupidity, Eugene had started spending time with her, ignoring the nobody was to be alone rule. She would see them deep in conversation. They always stopped when someone approached. When asked, Eugene said that they were seeing each other romantically.

She highly suspected that this was a lie. Eugene was incapable of telling the truth unless it was under duress.

Which was why she needed to talk to the group.

 

“You said to say something if we felt that something was off?” Maggie spoke up. People were relaxing in the sitting areas. Someone had found some board games, and some were taking advantage of the light to read.

Rick looked up from his book. “What’s going on?”

Tyreese was near the door and called for the others. They gathered around, looking confused. With an encouraging and serious nod from Rick, Maggie spoke.

”This place…the people in it. It feels wrong.”

“What do you mean by wrong?” Daryl asked.

“They’re too nice.” She started, and everything came tumbling out. “Why? Why did they bring us here? Why are they letting us stay? So many of us? They say strange things…things that are like a religion but not. And Eugene…why is Thera with you so much?” She gestured to the mullet haired man.

He looked almost indignant. “We’re together. She has shown me the error of my ways. She’s helped me to see the truth.”

“You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you on the ass.” Abraham told him.

“That was the old me. I’ve changed now.” He insisted and refused to say anything more.

Rick leaned forward. “I understand where you’re coming from. I hear you, I really do. But I think that we finally found some people like us. We took in a lot of people at the prison. Now we are on the receiving end of that kindness. It feels strange, I understand. But they have done nothing to hurt us, nothing that suggests that they will. I’m not saying that we should let our guard down completely. I still want us armed and to travel in groups of two or more.”

She felt defeated. They were not listening. They didn’t see it. Why? “You said that if anyone felt that it was wrong then we would leave.”

Rick nodded. “I did. Let’s vote. Who wants to leave?”

Maggie looked around but nobody seemed to be on her side. She looked down and shook her head. The only choices were to stay, or to leave and be on her own. She wouldn’t survive out there. She was tough, but not that tough. She would end up dead.

But at least she would be with her family…

Rick got up and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I know after what just happened it’s hard to think that there are good people. I—“

She shrugged his hand off and glared at him. “This has nothing to do with Beth. This place is wrong.”

 

There was a knock on the front door. Sasha went to answer it, and they heard Maxwell’s voice.

“I wished to invite all of you to a Gathering tomorrow evening.”

“A gathering?” Daryl asked as Maxwell walked into the sitting room.

“Yes. You will have been here a week. That is cause to celebrate.”

Rick looked around at everyone. Most seemed interested. “Alright. We’ll be there.”

“Wonderful.” Maggie watched Maxwell look over the group with what appeared to be an appraising eye. He nodded to himself and left.

 

“I had the same feeling.” Michonne said behind her. “In Woodbury.”

“You said that you don’t sense anything like that here.”

"I don’t. But then I was the only one who felt it there. Nobody believed me then. Turns out I was right. I’m not saying that you are…just don’t stop looking for the answer.” With a nod Michonne walked away.

“I believe you.” Glenn said. He hesitantly approached her. To his credit he hadn’t even tried speaking to her since she divorced him.

“You didn’t say so.”

“Wouldn’t have made any difference if I had.”

“Please tell me you feel it too.” She almost begged.

“No. But I know that you are a good judge of character. You trusted us at your farm.”

She nodded, a little relieved that at least two people didn’t think she was crazy from grieving. “What do I do?”

“What Michonne said. Keep looking for what is wrong. It’ll show up eventually.” He didn’t say it, but his tone said “if it is real”.


	7. Celebration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rewrite of the chapter originally posted on February 2, 2015.

“It’s disrespectful to her memory.” Maggie claimed. She stood leaning against her bedroom doorway. Her group mates were getting ready for the gathering. People were coming in and out of the bathroom with buckets of water, talking in an eager way amongst themselves. There was an air of cheerfulness, of happiness that had been absent for a while.

Absent for a good reason. A respectful reason. 

“Beth would want us to be happy.” Carol told her, holding a pretty red shirt in her arms. Maggie was stunned. Carol was the one other person who was not family that knew Beth the best. “You know that Beth was…she was almost always cheerful and found the good in everything. Would she really want us to mourn her forever or would she want us to live while we can?” 

Maggie felt tears fall down her cheeks. Carol was right, of course. Beth loved people gathering to celebrate. She was always so excited, even with their small gatherings at the prison. In fact, she organized most of them. 

But how could Maggie enjoy herself when she hurt so much? 

“Just come with us. Please?” Rick asked. “It might help.” His voice was so compassionate that she couldn’t say no. Pushing off the wall, she headed for her room to change. 

 

The gathering was being held outside in a small field behind the second dorm. The picnic tables had been moved and they had new tablecloths and unlit lanterns on them. Most of the residents were already there, looking happy and wearing matching all white clothing. Maggie felt that same nervous feeling that had been bothering her for the last week. 

Rick approached Maxwell and gave an awkward chuckle. “Guess we weren’t told that there was a dress code.” 

Maxwell smiled. “We found these in a uniform store. We figured that they would be good dress clothes. Not many opportunities to wear white, after all. All of you look fine though.” Seeing that they were unsure of the proper protocol he chuckled. “Relax. This is for you. Please, sit.” When everybody had taken a seat he stood. “This is because we have made a decision. This week you have shown a remarkable ability to adhere to our way of life. Your help has proven very valuable. So—“ He broke into a wide grin. “—we now consider you to be true residents of Bright View Academy.” 

Around her, her group’s reactions varied from delight on Eugene’s part to narrowed eyes from Glenn. 

“What exactly does that mean?” Daryl asked. 

“We wish to bring you into the flock. Truly make you one of us. It means that you will always have a place here. A home.” 

Nobody seemed to know what to say. Maxwell didn’t seem to think that that was a bad thing. He clapped his hands. “Now for the fun. We have music, delightful food that Rebecca prepared special.” People began to place dishes on the tables. “We even have spirits this night. Please. Enjoy yourselves, mingle.” 

He walked away and Maggie glared at a bowl of strawberries lightly coated in powdered sugar. Someone pulled out a guitar and several people began to quietly sing. It reminded her of the first night at the prison, when she and Beth sang for the group. When she was almost happy, and her family was together and alive. 

 

“You ok?” Thera asked, sitting down next to her. 

Maggie shook her head. She wasn’t about to explain anything to her. There was something off about the woman; something that seemed hidden under the appearance of constant pleasantness. It was more than her crazy beliefs. 

“You lost someone recently?” Maggie gave her a surprised look. How did she know? “Eugene told me. I am sorry for your loss.” 

Of course Eugene did. The two were practically inseparable. In fact, the man was sitting a few tables away. She clenched her fists and took deep breaths, not wanting to make a scene by lashing out at the woman. “He shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t his place.” 

“We can help you with your obvious pain.” Thera claimed. “Friends help each other to get through the hard times.” 

Maggie stood and grabbed a cup of whisky off the table. “I have friends, thank you.” She walked away, sipping her beverage. 

* * * *

Carol leaned against the wall of the dorm and watched her people enjoying themselves. It was like at the church, but without the dark cloud of just having escaped certain death the previous day. Instead it was having been safe, welcomed into a new home. 

She wasn’t sure that she could call it home yet. But she would try. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Ron asked. He held out a cup of whisky to her. She shook her head and held up a cup of wine. She rarely indulged, but it was good. Everyone was allowed one refill, and she had taken it. 

“It’s nice. We needed it. So, you consider us members now?” 

Ron nodded. “Yes. Maxwell plans on making you part of our group.” 

He sounded almost upset. That was strange; he had been one of the most welcoming of the residents. “Isn’t that a good thing?” 

“Maybe. Only if you want it, and know what it means.” 

“What?” 

He took a deep breath. “Will you meet me here tonight? Midnight?” 

She sighed. He just wouldn’t get the hint. Now she had to be blunt. “Ron, I’m not interested in you.” 

He gave her a lopsided smile. “I got that. I don’t mean for that reason. Please?” 

She didn’t reply and he walked off, his demeanor changing to one of cheerfulness as he joined his people. He was strange, but she wasn’t one to judge. He might have gone through things like she had, and was just trying to cope. 

She would not be meeting him though. 

 

“They lied. This is not my idea of fun.” Daryl said, leaning against the wall next to her. He had a cup in one hand, and a strawberry in the other. He handed the fruit to her, and she gladly took it. 

“Mine either.” She contemplated whether finishing her wine was a good idea. 

He moved closer until they were shoulder to shoulder. The heat and pressure from the contact made her smile. It was nice, easy, and reminiscent of the way they had been at the prison. 

Back when things had been good. Back when she had started to think about future possibilities that were more about enjoying life than surviving. 

Their hands were close, and she lightly ran the back of her fingers against the back of his hand. “What is your idea of fun?” She asked. 

He shrugged. “Definitely better music. Food’s good, drinks are good. But everything else…not very exciting.” 

All of this was true. The person playing the guitar was not very good at it, but nobody else seemed inclined to take over. So the evening was filled with the quiet notes of what didn’t seem to be an actual song. 

She sighed and pushed away from the wall. At her gesture, Daryl looked worried. “You’re not thinking of leaving, are you?” 

By the tone, she knew that he was referring to her running away at the church gathering. No, that hadn’t even entered her mind. The desire to run had lessened considerably; she wanted to start over like he said. Not completely, but return to the way things had been before. When she was the person she was supposed to be instead of the monster she had to be. 

She turned to him and crossed her arms. “Depends on what I would be leaving for.” She made her tone playful and overly flirtatious. 

Getting her meaning his eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t look offended. Instead he look…intrigued? She expected him to tell her to stop, his usual reply to that kind of playfulness. 

He didn’t. 

Deciding to take a chance and go with it, she turned and headed around the second building to their dorm. Without checking to see if he was behind her, she opened the back door and climbed the stairs to her room. With each step she felt anxiety build. What was she thinking? The wine had to have gone to her head. There was no way that he would take her up on her invitation. The previous night he had not acknowledged their kiss. He had simply gone to sleep with a quiet goodnight. 

When she reached her room, she turned and saw that he had indeed followed her. She watched as he closed the door and latched it. Without a word she pulled him into a kiss. He tasted of bourbon and strawberries. 

* * * *

Maggie was sitting alone at a table. Most of the residents had found a member of her group and were talking with them. Even Judith had met another baby was they were playing together. A few had tried to speak to her, but abandoned their attempts when she did not respond. 

She heard footsteps and saw Glenn approaching her. “Hi.” 

“Hi.” She contemplated walking away but realized that there was no escaping him. They had to learn how to live side by side now that they were no longer together. 

“You doing ok?” 

She gave a laugh that held no humor in it. “No. Of course I’m not.” 

He sat down next to her, but made sure that there was a nice distance between them. She appreciated the thought, even if she did not appreciate the fact that he was talking to her. “You’re here though.” 

“Everyone pretty much insisted on it.” 

Glenn looked around. “You probably could have gone back by now.” 

“Yeah, well, I don’t really want to be there while people are having sex.” 

It wasn’t because she was unnerved at the thought of her friends having fun. She knew that no everyone had been celibate. Thankfully, living in such close quarters had made people perfect being discreet. It was mainly because it was a reminder that it had usually been her and Glenn to sneak off. 

Now it was Abraham and Rosita, and she had seen Carol hurry off with Daryl close behind. 

It was about damn time for those two. 

“Who’s…?" He shook his head. “Never mind. Maggie—“

His tone of voice had changed and she glared at him. “I thought that I made myself clear.” 

“You did!” He held his hands up. “I…I wanted you to know that I know that there is nothing I can do about it.” 

“You’re right. There isn’t.” 

“But I’ll never stop wanting you back either.” 

She placed her head in her hands, a headache forming. Why did he have to be so stubborn? That was how things had started between them. He hadn’t taken a one-time thing for an answer. “Glenn…”

“I love you, Maggie.” His voice was so insistent, so sincere that it enraged her. He just didn’t understand and seemed to refuse to even try. 

“Stop! It’s over.” She exclaimed, drawing the attention of the people closest to her. She sighed and stood, stumbling as she climbed over the bench of the table. Steadying herself, she tried to hold on to the shreds of her dignity. 

Glenn reached out to help and she smacked his hands away. “You’re drunk.” He told her, disapproving. He knew about her father’s alcoholism and that he never wanted his children to drink. “You’re not yourself.” 

“No, I’m not. I’m living life. I’m celebrating, like everybody wanted me too.” 

* * * *

It had started out light and playful as she had intended. She had thought that they would pick off where they had left off in the barn, and little more, as she indicated by pulling off her shirt. He had done the same, and she had discovered the horrible scars on his back. He was obviously ashamed about them, but she had reassured him that she understood. They all had scars. 

Things had changed after that. The kisses had become deeper, the caresses urgent. 

Still, she hadn’t expected their clothing to end up scattered all over the floor, hands and lips moving over skin. 

She hadn’t expected to find herself on top of him, pleasure building every second. 

And she was certainly surprised to find that some of the barriers that she had built between herself and everybody else had crumbled…and judging by the slight vulnerability in his eyes, some of his had too. 

* * * *

Glenn had been right. Maggie was drunk. She should have stuck with something not as hard, but the whisky had been perfect, and she had only had the two cups of it. 

She had been drunk before. When she was a teen, she had snuck out to a party. The punch had been spiked. Thankfully, a friend had helped her home safely, so nothing too bad had happened, other than being grounded for a month, and having her father extremely disappointed in her. 

The celebration had pretty much dispersed when it got to be truly dark. Lanterns could only do so much. Tired, but in a good way, people went to their beds, needing sleep for work tomorrow. 

Maggie had remained behind, enjoying the quiet. A few others were quietly talking and ignoring her. She saw Noah discussing something intently with a woman around his age. He didn’t really seem happy at what was being said. Gabriel was not too far off, seemingly lost in thought. 

She wasn’t too sure what to make of the two newcomers. They both seemed a little weak to truly be an asset to the group. 

Of course, in her current state she wouldn’t be of much help either. She needed to get back to her room and sleep it off. 

Attempting to stand, she tripped and landed in a heap on the ground. She burst out laughing at the situation, though she felt like crying. 

“Need some help?” Thera asked kindly, appearing at her side. 

“No.” Maggie carefully stood and took a few steps. Dizziness made her pause. “I’m alright.” 

Thera gently took her arm. “Come on. It’s ok. I don’t mind.” Maggie tried to shrug it off but the woman was stronger than she looked. 

“I’m not supposed to—“

Eugene appeared on her other side and too her other arm. She was now trapped between the two of them “I’m here too.” Eugene reassured. “Two people, like the rules say.” 

“I don’t want your help.” She tried to pull away but their grips were tight, almost to the point of bruising. 

They began walking, heading in the direction of the dorms. She tried to make herself relax, telling herself that she was over reacting because she was wasted. 

Her fear was proven sound because they walked past the dorm and into the central courtyard. Turning, Eugene and Thera pulled her towards a building she had never been in. a building that she had been told was unoccupied. The auditorium.


	8. Contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rewrite of what was originally posted on February 4, 2015.

Carol awoke from a light sleep. It was still dark, so she couldn’t have been out for that long. Surprisingly, Daryl was next to her. His breathing was deep and even, and he had one hand resting on her hip.

She lightly ran her fingers up his arm and over his collarbone, laying it on his chest. She didn’t regret what they had done. It had been wonderful. They had been careful, mindful of each other’s injuries, mindful that they didn’t want anybody who had returned to know what was going on.

It hadn’t been sweet and tender like in some romance novel, but it not rough either. It had been intense and passionate.

Neither of them had said I love you. Honestly, she knew that she had deep feelings for him, but she wasn’t quite sure what to name them yet. They probably didn’t even need a name…they just were.

His eyes opened and he was instantly alert. He surveyed his surroundings before focusing on her. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He opened his mouth to say something but they were both distracted by the sound of feet running down the hallway.

“Wake up!” Glenn’s voice yelled and it sounded like he was pounding on doors. “Now!”

They climbed out of the bed and quickly threw on their clothes. He made it to the door first and threw it open. Glenn was in the middle of the hall, gun in hand.

“What’s going on?” Daryl demanded. Doors flew open and the others hurried into the hall.

“It’s Maggie. I saw her dragged away. They have her.” Glenn explained, his breath coming in gasps. “And Eugene’s with them. Willingly.”

Carol remembered that Ron had asked her to meet him. Could he have been trying to warn her? Or take her captive too?

Rick handed Judith to Carl, and ushered them both to Tyreese. Everybody ducked inside their rooms and grabbed weapons.

“Where’d they go?” Rick asked.

“The auditorium.”

Tyreese and Noah stayed behind with the children. Rick wanted Gabriel to stay also, but he insisted on coming. The rest made their way out of the building determined and Carol wondered if they felt the same. Crushing disappointment that once again a safe place had turned into a nightmare.

There was movement and Ron and Hattie appeared around the side of the building. Everybody trained their weapons on them, and neither even flinched. In the glow of the flashlight he had, Ron looked solemn.

“I take it you’re going to rescue your friend.” He didn’t sound surprised, more like he was just resigned.

“You here to stop us?” Rick asked.

“No. We’re here to help. We know where she is.”

“So do we.” Glenn reported.  
Ron nodded, not looking surprised. “Yes. Do you know why she’s there?”

“No. Explain.” Rick ordered.

“I can’t. But I can show you. Be ready though. Everybody is inside.”

They looked at each other, wondering if these two could be trusted. It could be a trap. Finally Rick nodded and they followed the two.

He was right. They met no resistance as they hurried towards the building. There was no feeling of a trap.

As they neared the doors, they heard the faint sound of singing. Exchanging puzzled glances, the group split into two, one going to enter the building through the back door, the other to climb up to a second story.

Carol was in the second group. Ron led them through the front door. The singing got louder, coming from what was behind the closed double doors in front of them. With a finger to his lips, Ron led them down a side hallway and up some stairs. They emerged onto a balcony. Staying pressed against the back wall, the moved until they could see the stage.

Maggie was on the stage, chained to a giant pole. Surrounding her was a circle of walkers on golden chains. Kneeling in front of the stage were the residents of Bright View, singing.

Maxwell rose and approached the walkers. “Eternal Ones. We gift you with this unbeliever, and ask that you give us your blessing so that we may show the others the truth.”

* * * *

Maggie struggled against the ropes binding her to the pole. Around her the walkers growled, and their stench overpowered her. People were holding tightly to golden chains that held the walkers in place. They didn’t even glance at her.

The situation had helped to make her feel more clear headed. In front of her, Maxwell was going on about the walkers like a preacher addressing their congregation. These idiots actually thought they were gods.

And she was a sacrifice.

The thought filled her with fury, drowning out the darkness that had consumed her for over a week.

They had taken the gun she had had with her, but they hadn’t known about the knife hidden under her pant leg. If only she could bend down and get it.

Maxwell gestured to the people standing just offstage. They moved forward gripping the chains holding the walkers. The walkers, getting closer to their prey, became more active, straining against the chains.

“Wait!” Eugene yelled, standing. Maxwell turned to him in surprise. “I—pardon my interruption.” Thera was frantically tugging at his hand.

“What is it, Eugene?” Maxwell asked impatiently.

“She wasn’t given a chance. It was automatically assumed that she does not believe.”

Thera stood up. “She did not want my help to get over her unhappiness.”

“She was drunk when you asked her. How could she know? She hasn’t been taught the truth like I have.”

Maxwell seemed to be considering this. After what seemed like eternity, he nodded and turned to the gathered. “Our new member Eugene has just proved that he truly is one of us. Maggie will not be given to the Eternal Ones. She needs to understand the truth. Tonight she will spend in Contemplation.” He paused. “However, the Eternal Ones have been promised a meal. Thera. You have failed. You went against our teachings. You know to educate, and then decide.”

Thera nodded and lowered her head. Eugene looked concerned and kept looking back and forth between the two. Maggie narrowed her eyes. She could guess what was coming and hoped that she was wrong.

“Because of this…horrific lapse in judgment, you will replace Maggie as the sacrifice.”

The idiot didn’t even protest. She meekly walked onto the stage and knelt in the circle, not far from Maggie She clutched her hands behind her back and lifted her head. Maxwell nodded to the men and they relaxed their hold on the chains. She didn’t even flinch. She sat there as they approached, sat there as one of them lunged, tearing into her flesh and pulling meat and sinew away from bone. She screamed then, a loud, high sound that echoed through the auditorium. A puddle of blood formed under her as the walkers feasted. The scream cut off as they tore into her neck and torso.

Maggie shivered, closing her eyes against the carnage. The bitch deserved it, but it was still a harsh way to go.

The auditorium was now completely silent. After a few moments Maxwell nodded. “Let this be a lesson to everyone. You either become enlightened and one day join the Eternal Ones. Or you stay an unbeliever and feed them.” He gestured to Maggie. “Take her to the Contemplation Chamber.”

* * * *

Carol crouched by the wall at the edge of the balcony. Carefully, she aimed her rifle, setting the back of Maxwell’s head in the sights.

As she aimed, she felt the familiar cold settle over her. All of her emotions were pushed to a far off place in her mind. All that was left was one single theme: Maxwell was not going to live through the night. The people of Bright View needed to pay.

Her finger lay against the side of the trigger. Taking a breath, she was a second away from firing when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned her head, furious at the interruption.

“You can’t.” Ron whispered.

“They have Maggie.” She answered harshly.

“There are innocent people down there. They’re just confused.”

She glanced over to the rest of her group. Half of them looked like they wanted her to shoot. Once again she aimed at Maxwell and then lowered it. She looked over the people sitting in the chairs watching the events on the stage.

“How many are armed?” She finally asked.  
“Many. They’re peaceful but not stupid.” Ron replied.

Carol looked at him, incredulous. Did he really believe that? They worshiped the most violent beings she had ever seen. They were about to feed Maggie to them.

No. They were not a peaceful people, and there were no innocents. They willingly followed the insane man.

But if she fired, they would probably swarm them, putting everybody, including Maggie and the group backstage, in danger. She couldn’t do that.

“What’s the Contemplation Chamber?” Abraham demanded.

“The pool. The Chamber is the pool.” Ron answered.

“Would probably be the best time to get her.” Sasha added.

Carol nodded. “How many guards will be there?”  
“Two on each set of doors. They’re there to see if she survives Contemplation.”

“Survives?”

“We’d better get out of here before the service ends.” Ron stood and headed for the stairs. They followed him, hurrying down the stairs and out of the building. They met the other group on the side of the building. She saw Daryl quickly assess that she was alright before surveying the rest of the group.

“We heard everything but couldn’t get a good shot. Too many people.” Rick reported.

Carol kept to herself that she didn’t take it. “We think that the Contemplation Chamber might be a better chance.”

“The hell is it? Hattie won’t say.”

Ron started towards the pool. “I’ll show you.”

Daryl moved in front of him, blocking his way. “Why don’t ya stop showing and start telling?”

Ron was sufficiently intimidated. He took a deep breath. “The Contemplation Chamber is the pool. It’s currently full of…them. Packed. The Unsure are placed on a board in a chair above the pool. They are to think about the truth. In the morning they are released if they survived.”

Rick rested his hand on his weapon and clenched his teeth. “Let me guess: the board is not very strong?”

Ron didn’t answer but Hattie shook her head. “No.”

Rick gestured and they hurried towards the pool, keeping in the shadows. In the courtyard they could see Maggie in the grip of two men. The woman was fighting against her captors, and managed to kick Maxwell. He staggered, but then righted himself with an indignant shake. Her captors tightened their hold.

Carol looked at Rick. “We could take them now.”

He considered this. “No. I want to do this peacefully if I can.”

“What about no mercy?”

He studied her but she didn’t look away. After a moment he shook his head. “We’ll give them a chance first.”

She had heard about the massacre at the church. She wondered where that Rick had gone. The one who had warned Thera and Helen.

When they reached the building, they climbed through a window into a classroom. In the hall they could hear footsteps moving towards the doors to the pool. It sounded like just a couple of people. There was the rattle of chains and then a metallic thump as they hit the floor. Maggie swore viciously but then it was muffled.

“Everybody else has gone home. Now it is just Maxwell and four others.” Hattie whispered.

Rick carefully nudged the door open enough that he could peek through. After a moment he nodded and they made their way into the hallway.

He nodded, and the group once again split in half, the others going down a side hall to the other set of doors.

The double doors stood open, and they could hear voices and what sounded like a struggle echoing into the hall. Rick nodded to Daryl, and the two flanked the doors. After moment they entered the pool.

* * * *

Maggie struggled against her captors as she was pulled towards the pool. It wasn’t full of water, but walkers. Drawn by the sound, they clawed at the sides and each other in an effort to get to them. Set a few feet above the deepest part of the pool was a wooden board. Attached to it was a chair. They were dragging her towards it.

“Look upon them, Maggie Greene. Look upon those who are above us, those who we should aim to be.” Maxwell intoned.

“You’re crazy.” She felt her heart pounding as she struggled. “They’re not gods, they’re monsters!”

“You’re wrong. They have come back. Don’t you see? They have come back from the afterlife! Only the most holy can do so!” Maxwell was practically shouting now.

Maggie relaxed for a moment and stopped struggling. As she suspected, her captors also relaxed and she made her move. Roughly pulling her right arm to her body, the guard on the right stumbled. She kicked at him and he fell to the ground. The guard on her left let go and she reached down, grabbing the knife from its binding on her leg. They grabbed guns from their holsters and aimed them at her.

She backed away from the pool, holding her knife in a defensive position. “You really don’t want to do this.” She warned.

Maxwell shook his head sadly. “Thera was right. You really are an unbeliever.” He nodded to the guards. “Toss her in.”

They looked hesitant at the thought of coming after her. She glared at them, vowing that they were not going to lay another hand on her.

“Hold it right there.” Rick said as some of her people entered the room, weapons trained on the guards. The guards lowered their weapons and raised their hands. Maggie used the opportunity to hurry over to her group. “Now, you’re gonna let us go, and we can pretend that none of this happened.”

Maxwell raised his head, righteous indignation practically pouring from him. “It is my duty to make you see truth.”

Rick walked up to Maxwell. “I know the truth. I even understand why you believe this. But see, none of that matters. I warned you, you screw with us and we show no mercy.”

Maxwell clenched his jaw. “What can you do? I’m blessed by the Eternal Ones!”

Rick shook his head and roughly shoved Maxwell towards the pool. He grabbed Rick’s shirt, and both men fell to the floor near the edge. Rick pushed the other man back towards the walkers, but Maxwell frantically fought against it. He had a look of complete terror on his face. He was able to get out of Rick’s grasp and stand. His mouth opened as if to say something, but at that moment there was the sound of a shot being fired. There was a ping as it hit the tiles on the other side of the room. More shots were fired and blood bloomed on the stomach, arm and chest of Maxwell’s white clothing. He fell backwards into the pool, screaming as the walkers got him and began to tear him apart.

Maggie turned and saw Gabriel holding a gun, his hand shaking and a look of fury on his face. “Abomination.” He spat, and then seemed to realize what he had just done. “Thou shalt not kill.” He whispered, appalled, and Abraham carefully took the weapon from him.

Rick stared at the pool for a long moment and then over stood. “You ok?”

She nodded. “Nothing too bad.”

He turned to the two members of the community who were pale and looking towards the pool, stunned. “You helped us and we are grateful. But we’re getting out of here.”

Ron cleared his throat. “We understand.”

As they headed for the entrance of the building, Maggie wondered what would happen to this place now. Another would probably take Maxwell’s place, especially if they really believed his lies.

“You need to get rid of them. Burn them.” Maggie told Ron.

He nodded. “We do. I—“

Whatever he was about to say was cut off because outside the doors, surrounding the entrance were the rest of the residents of Bright View. And they did not look happy.


	9. Rebellion

The citizens of Bright View watched the group exit the building, not seeming to care about the weapons trained on them. They wore looks ranging from disbelief to rage on their faces.

Coming from the back of the crowd, Brock and a group of armed guards were making their way to them. Carol gripped her rifle and aimed it square at Brock’s chest.

“Where’s Maxwell.” Brock asked when he reached them.

“Dead.” Rick answered, his voice casual. It was a stupid question since it was obvious that his screams had summoned the residents.

“What…what have you done?” Brock cried, motioning to the guards. They stepped in front of Brock, batons and guns trained on her people.

“I got rid of a sick psychopath who took one of my family hostage.”

That enraged the crowd, and they began to mutter.

“No!” Eugene pushed his way to the front and past the guards. “What have you done? He knew the truth about everything. The walkers are not evil! They are the next stage in our evolution. He was trying to show you that.”

Rick listened to Eugene, his head tilted to the side. Before anyone knew what was happening, he pulled his gun out and shot Eugene in the head. He crumpled to the ground with a thud.

Carol felt nothing. The man had betrayed them twice. There were no more chances for him.

And he was not going to come back.

* * * *

The suddenness of the execution stunned the residents and they stepped back. Rick trained his weapon on Brock. “Now, we are going to leave this place. Now.”

Brock’s shook his head at the body laying before him. “What kind of people are you?” He turned to his guards. “Kill them. And don’t let them become Enlightened.”

Maggie clutched her knife and got into fighting stance. Hattie, who had been next to her, slipped back inside of the building. While she was thankful that the woman had helped to rescue her, she could not help but feel that she was a coward when it came down to it.

“Stop!” Ron shouted, but it was no use. Nobody was going to listen. They were too brainwashed, too desperate.

Off to the side of the building she could see another group of her people sneaking around to box in the angry mob. She had wondered where the others were. They got into place and Rick shook his head.

“You really want all of your people to die?” Rick asked.

“We are blessed by the Eternal Ones. We will go on to Blessed Eternity if we are not allowed to become them. Either way, we will make sure you unbelievers go first!”

Someone gave piercing scream as thick smoke began to billow out of the building. It stank of charred, rotted flesh, making her gag. A moment later Hattie came running out of the door.

“The truth is is that Maxwell was not blessed! I saw him ripped apart and devoured. He did not go on to blessed anything!” Ron yelled, trying to calm the now panicked crowd. “He died a horrible death, just like everyone he claimed was an unbeliever. They have been lying to us all this time and they knew it!”

The smoke was thicker, causing Maggie to cough and her eyes to water. They had to get out of there.

The crowd turned their attention to Brock, seeming to listen to someone who was their own. Brock began to look nervous.

“They made us believe that there was a reason behind all of this. They took our loved ones and…” He broke off, swallowing thickly. “—fed them to those things! They made us believe that it was a holy thing!”

By now the crowd was growing angry, pushing their way towards Brock. The guards switched their attention to the mob.

Rick nodded to everyone and they slowly made their way down the front of the building to the side. As they were leaving, Hattie turned and nodded to them. Maggie nodded back. The woman wasn’t a coward after all.

* * * *

They joined the other group and ran towards the dorms. Behind them, shots rang out and people screamed. The smoke had got heavier as the fire spread, engulfing more of the building. Before she turned, she saw Brock fall under a pile of his people. Nobody seemed to be following them, but Carol didn’t feel relief yet. Couldn’t. Things could still change in a second.

They reached the dorm to find the front door wide open. Rick let out an anguished roar and ran upstairs. His footsteps sounded on the floor as he ran from room to room looking for his children.

Carol helped in the search, checking the downstairs with everyone else. Nobody was to be found. She felt the sense of numbness engulf her. More children dead?

“Hey!” Tara yelled. “They’re over there!”

Daryl yelled for Rick, who came running down the stairs so quick that he stumbled. They went outside to see Noah running across the grass from the parking lot.

“We heard gunshots and figured that we would have to leave fast. The trucks are packed and we can go.” He told them as Rick passed them to engulf Judith and Carl in hugs.

The campus was in complete chaos now. Shots and shouts rang out. People were running away from the enflamed building, and some had turned and were now attacking their fellow residents. Someone started running towards them. Carol raised her rifle just in case, and everyone climbed in the vehicles.

The person was Rebecca, who ran past them to the gates. As they approached, she unlocked them and watched them drive away. As they sped from Bright View Academy, Carol allowed herself to feel a slight sense of loss.


	10. Moving On

They drove as long as they could; trying to put as much distance between them and Bright View as possible. Those not driving slept, exhausted by the night’s previous events.

Gas soon ran out, so the group needed new transportation. They carried as much of the items that Tyreese and Noah had packed that they could, and set out on foot.

“What if they come after us?” Carl asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

“Then we take care of them.” Rick answered. Carl still looked unsure.

“I saw Brock go down under a pile of his followers. They’re probably too busy infighting to think about us.” Carol reported to everyone. She hoped that it was true. God, she hoped that it was true.  
“We can take care of them.” Daryl added, and gave Carl a reassuring look.

 

Around mid-day they stopped near a stream to rest and eat. The mood of the group was greatly subdued, and the only real conversation was out of necessity; a sharp contrast to the banter that had become normal in the last few days.

 

Carol offered to collect water for everyone, and took bottles and canteens to the stream. She was relieved to get away for a moment and think.

Where were they to go from here? They needed a place to stay, shelter. They had been out on the road once before, nearly a year after the farm was destroyed. It had not been easy. Everyone had survived, but barely.

Could they do that again? Would everyone survive it this time?

Probably not.

This was why she had to go back to the way she was before. Survival first.

 

Hearing footsteps behind here, she tensed and reached for her knife. She looked back and saw Daryl approaching with an empty bottle. He held it up.

“Forgot one.”

She nodded and turned back to the water, concentrating on filling the bottles. He crouched next to her and began to fill his.

After a few moments he put the cap back on. “Why don’t you say it?”

“What?”

“What’s on your mind.”

“Would you stop doing that?”

“What?”

She smiled in spite of herself. “Knowing me so well?” He had been that way for a long time. He was always there, seeming to sense her moods and know what was going on with her. “I’m not the only one though. I’ll tell you what’s on my mind if you tell me yours.”

He messed with the cap to his bottle, turning it back and forth. “We didn’t use anything. What if I got you pregnant?”

She filled another bottle. “It’s a possibility. A very slight one, but possible.” She didn’t even want to think about it. Children died under her care. She couldn’t risk taking care of another. “If it happens it happens.”

“Yeah. I’m clean.” He added quietly.

She gave a mirthless chuckle. “Me too.” Knowing that it was only fair, and that he was waiting, she continued. “It can’t happen again.”

“Why?”

“Because…this is not the place for things like that. We have to concentrate on surviving. Anything else just interferes and puts people in danger.”

“Weren’t you the one who said that we have to live life while we can?”

“I was trying. And looked at what happened.” Why couldn’t he see that?

“You mean Maggie? That wasn’t your fault or my fault.” He exclaimed.

She replaced the lid onto Rick’s canteen and stood. “We might have been able to stop it if we hadn’t been distracted.”

 

“No, you couldn’t have.” Maggie interrupted, coming up to them. Carol crossed her arms, wondering just how much the woman had heard. She didn’t really want her personal business to get out.

“Maggie—“

“No, that’s why I’m here. I wanted to apologize. I’m the one who got drunk. I’m the one who…who has been…” She took a deep breath. “I was stupid last night and I’m sorry for putting everyone in danger.”

Carol nodded, torn between wanting to protest, or admit that maybe Maggie was right and it had nothing to do with her.

“You didn’t do it on purpose.” Daryl told her. “We all thought that we were finally safe.”

“I didn’t. I was just… Anyway, don’t blame yourselves. Please. Be happy.” She nodded and walked away.

 

“Look, I ain’t begging.” Daryl began after Maggie was out of earshot.

“I would never—“ She interrupted, appalled. She wasn’t the kind of woman who played games like that.

He held up a hand. “Don’t stop trying, alright?”

That made her pause. She had promised to try, to start over. But that had to stop now that everything had once again gone to hell…didn’t it?

“Can we live and survive at the same time?” She finally asked.

“We have to. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

What was the point? If they did finally find a permanent place to settle and live, what good would it be if they couldn’t truly enjoy it?

But what good would it do if they never made it because they were dead?

She felt like she was being pulled in two directions.

 

“I’m not looking for a screw buddy.” She explained quietly, making her choice. She felt anxious and relieved at the same time, and hoped that it didn’t show.

“Good, ‘cause I ain’t one.”

“But I’m not looking for a ring either.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t have one.” She glanced at him and saw that he was trying to not laugh. Nodding, she nudged his shoulder with hers. He turned and pulled her into a kiss. She relaxed in his arms.

“What did you mean, don’t make you choose?” She asked when it ended. It had been bothering her since he had said it.

“I meant, if you left, I would have gone after you.”

 

They headed back to the camp and found Rick looking amused. “Didn’t know it took so long to get water.”

“Your point?” Daryl asked as Carol handed Rick his canteen.

“Nothin’.” He grinned.

* * * *

Maggie left Daryl and Carol and went in search of the final person she needed to talk to. She had apologized to the main group, and had felt the need to make a separate apology to those two for interrupting their night.

Now it was time to make the biggest apology.

 

Glenn was looking for any edible nuts or berries with Noah. The teen saw her first, and she indicated that she needed to talk to Glenn privately. Noah nodded and left with his finds.

Glenn looked confused at first but then saw Maggie. He looked guarded but friendly as she approached him.

 

“Hi.” She didn’t really know where to begin. She had treated him horribly. Beyond horrible.

“Hi.”

“Look, I wanted to apologize. For everything. I—I don’t really…”

“It’s ok.”

“No, it’s not. I still believe everything that I said.” He looked cold and she hurried on. “But…well being kidnapped and nearly sacrificed to walker gods makes a person realize a few things.”

“I imagine so…”

“It is not all your fault. I was willing about everything. I’m sorry for…”

He took a step back, putting more distance between them. He nodded, his face like stone, and clutched his bundle of food. “I accept.”

 

She didn’t know what else to say. While she was tied up, in the back of her mind she was aware that she didn’t want to leave things the way that they were. The thought of never seeing him again was devastating.

She still loved him. She was angry, and hurting, and grieving but the love was still there.

“I can’t go back to the way things were.” She told him.

“Alright.”

“I can’t be…consumed by a relationship. I need freedom.”

“Maggie, I gave you freedom. I wanted you to spend time with your family, especially since I can’t be with mine. You were the one who choose to be with me all the time, and to come after me. Stop blaming me. None of this is my fault.”

She was taken aback at the harsh tone. “Glenn…”

“I know you’re grieving but so is everybody else. There is not one person over there that has not lost someone close to them and not one of them acted like you.”

She nodded, feeling ashamed. It was strange to hear him talking like this to her, but he was right. She had been selfish and a bitch to everyone.

“I’m sorry.” She felt tears threatening and furiously wiped at her eyes.

“I know that you are.” He told her quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She let him, liking the familiar touch.

 

“Did you mean it?”

“What?”  
“That you weren’t giving up on us?” She was hopeful that she thought that she would be. She knew that if he said no, she would have earned it.

He reached into his shirt and pulled out her ring. It was tied on a strip of cloth around his neck. “Yeah.”

“Even after everything?”

“As far as I’m concerned we’re still married. Married people fight.”

She touched the ring. She wasn’t ready to take it back. She didn’t know when she would be ready. But one day she would be.

She closed his hand around the ring and kissed his fist. He placed it back in his shirt.

 

Together they headed back into camp, being the last ones to return. Glenn sat down, and Maggie sat next to him. He gave her a small smile.

“We have to decide what to do next.” Rick told them. “Do we wander or do we try to find a permanent place again?”

“We can’t trust people. Never again.” Carl said. Rick looked at his son, heartbreak evident.

“We can’t think that way.” Sasha insisted. “We just have to be more careful.”

“What if it was a place that was known to be safe?” Noah asked quietly.

“Like what?” Rick countered.

“My home? I didn’t want to bring it up because it’s in Virginia, but it’s safe. Walled and everything.”

Everybody glanced at each other. Virginia was a long way, especially when transportation was sketchy at best.

“We haven’t had much luck in Georgia.” Daryl agreed.

Rick nodded. “Should we?” Nobody protested. “Alright then. We’ll take you home.”

The group tried to hide it, but Maggie could see that once again a little spark of hope had appeared.


End file.
